Valerie is a scientist and yoga teacher based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She is passionate about mental health and the role that various yoga modalities play in alleviating stress and building resilience and wellness.
Valerie is an endowed Professor and Department Head of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University. Formally trained in classical ballet, as well as a former runner, Valerie has always been a believer in staying active but yoga is the perfect marriage of her work in mental health and her love of movement and anatomy.
With a Ph.D. in Psychology, Valerie is extremely active in mental health research, focusing on how our internal biology and our external physical environment (including yoga, mindfulness, and meditation) can interact to positively change our mental health landscape. Valerie’s sincere hope is that, while the physical asana practice might be the introduction to yoga (as it was for her), her students can utilize the asanas as a tool to find cohesion of body, mind, and spirit in order to experience fullness and purpose in their lives.
Valerie has contributed to online platforms including Yoga Digest, Sweat Equity, InStyle, Spirituality and Health, Mantra Magazine and Yoga International.